Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) AYUSH, Shripad Yesso Naik and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region, Dr Jitendra Singh today laid e-foundation for Post Harvest Management Centre for Medicinal Plants in the premises of Institute of High Altitude Medicinal Plant under National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of AYUSH besides e-inaugrating 21 AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres upgraded under Ayushman Bharat operational at Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts.
Dr Jitendra Singh, while speaking on the occasion, said that persistence efforts have been made to establish the first of its kind institute in Bhaderwah area. He lauded the efforts of district administration for taking the project on war footing basis for larger interest of farmer’s fraternity. He said that with establishment of this prestigious institute many researchers and scholars will visit the district to conduct their research works. “The farmers will get actual education about herbal cultivation besides the produce will be certified, branded, packed and sold to the Ayush industry as well as in the national markets which will in turn enhance farmer’s income”, he asserted.
While addressing the participants, Shripad Yesso Naik said that almost 194 AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres worth Rs. 11 crore have been sanctioned for the UT in the last two years, of which, more than 50 have been made operational with the availability of latest IT equipments, availability of medicine, doctors etc. He said that AYUSH has reoriented the health facilities across the country and is playing pivotal role even during this time of Covid-19 pandemic. He said that with the coming of this institute herbal cultivation will be increased in the entire Chenab valley, new seeds will be produced and given to the farmers for herbal cultivation.
“The initiative has been taken to shift the traditional system of farming towards herbal farming which has huge potential in the present times across the world”, he maintained while highlighting the benefits of Ayurveda. He said that 4 new AYUSH hospitals were earlier sanctioned for J&K and the construction work on all of those is going on fast pace, one Ayurveda college at Jammu has already been made functional while the Unani Medical College at Kashmir is at completion stage and shall start functioning in the coming days.